Barrel for machine-guns



(No Model.)

J. W; PETTY.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

I BARREL FOR MACHINE GUNS.

No. 328,713. Patented Oct. 20; 1885.

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(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.v

J. WQ PETTY. BARREL FOR MACHINE GUNS.

1% 328,713. I F PatentedOct.20.11885;

Usrrnn rarns JOHN W. PETTY, OF OMAHA, NEBRASKA.

BARREL FOR MACHINE GUNS.

' bPEGIE-ICATIQN forming part of Letters Patent No, 328,713, dated October 20, 1885.-

Application filed March 13, 1885.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it k nown that I, JOHN W. PETTY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Omaha, in the county of Douglas and State of Nebraska, have invented certainnew and useful Improvements in Machine and other Guns; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in the construction of machine and other guns; and it consists, essentially, in constructing the guns with a number of barrels suitably mounted or connected together, each of such barrels being composed of a series of rifled barrels joined together at their breech ends and separated at their muzzle ends; in pro viding each multiple barrel at the muzzle end with a longitudinally-sliding gage, by means of which the muzzles of the barrels constituting such multiple barrel maybe spread apart to secure the scattering of the missi1es,"and the shape of the pattern regulated; also, in means for operating said gage and indicating its position, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a perspective view of a gun-barrel constructed according to my improvements and with the barrels in straight positions; and Fig. 2 represents a similar view with the muzzle of the barrels spread apart and with the gage or wedge being shown in retracted position in the latter figure to secure the spread of the muzzle ends. Fig. 3 represents an end View of the breech end of the barrel; Fig. 4, a detail view of the barrel-spreading gage; Fig. 5, an elevation of a barrel with the barrel-spreading gage, rods for operating the same, and indicator in posit fon thereon. Figs. 6 and 7 represent, respectively, a front and side elevation of the firing-pin. Fig. 8 represents, on alarger scale, a longitudinal medial section of one of the multiple barrels.

A represents a barrel, of which there may be one or more employed, as it is desired to Serial No. 158,665. (No model.)

construct either a single or double barreled gun for sporting or other uses or for field use. WVhen it is desired to construct a hand firearm, the barrel or barrels are mounted in a suitable stock after the manner customary with ordinary sporting and other rifles and guns. When it is desired to apply my improvements to the construction of machine-guns for field use in military operations, any desired number of such barrels are banded together and mounted upon a suitable carriage in any customary or approved manner, the manner of combining or mounting together a series of such barrels being no part of my present invention.

Each multiple barrel A is composed of a plurality of barrels, B, the number of which composing each multiple barrel A is regulated according to requirement or desire. In the drawings I have shown a barrel as provided with seven of eachone in the center and six surrounding the same; but the number thereof may be either more or less than therein shown, according to the number of bullets or pellets it may be desired to throw at each discharge. These barrels B it is designed to rifle and to make as small in area as practicable to sustain the necessary work and wear. Each of said barrels tapers slightly from the breech to the muzzle end, and they are firmly connected together at their breech ends and from thence muzzleward to within four inches (more or less) of their muzzles by solder or otherwise. In the drawings I have shown said barrels as soldered at their inner faces to the central barrel, and connected together at their upper faces by means of solder and ribs or strips of metal, 0, which fill in the spaces between said barrels and produce a smooth surface between each. By thus connecting the barrels together at their breech ends they are thereby greatly strengthened and rendered capable of sustaining great strain at the point where such is likely to occur.

The object of leaving the barrels B at their muzzle ends and for a distance rearward thereof disconnected is to permit of the same being spread apart and outward whenever it may be desired to cause the bullets or pellets, on their discharge from the gun, to spread outward or scatter and form an extended pattern. This is accomplished by means of-a gage or wedge, D, having a series of wings, E, and curved sockets F, which arepassed between and vembrace the inner and side faces of the respective barrels, and with lugs G, which extend outwardly beyond the barrels for the purpose of affording means whereby said gage maybe either grasped by the fingers of the user or have attached thereto rods H or their equivalent, by turning or pulling rearward upon which latter or upon said lugs said gage or wedge may be drawn rearwardly along the disconnected muzzle ends of said barrels B, and thus force them outward and away from each other. When so drawn apart, it will be readily understood that the shot escaping therefrom upon the discharge of the piece will scatter and cover a greater space than were said barrels allowed to remain in perfectly straight alignment with their breech ends.

Either the muzzle ends of thebarrels B may be of tapering form outwardly and the gage straight, or, vice versa, the gage may be of tapering or wedge shape and the barrels somewhat straight. In either construction the drawing rearward of said gage along the muzzle end of the barrels B will wedge or force the same outwardly and increase the areaover which the shot projected therefrom will take effect.

The degree of the spread of the barrels can be readily regulated by drawing the gage therealong a greater or less distance, which, when the gage alone is used and operated by the thumb and finger of the user, can be speedily determined by practice. Where, however, rods H are attached to the operative lugs G, I attach to one of the ribs 0 an indicator or index, I, upon the face of which are suitable indicating marks or figures to indi cate the position upon the barrels of said gage. When such rods are employed, they and the gage attached thereto are drawn rearwardly, and their rearmost ends travel across the face of the indicator-plate, and by their position thereon relatively to the indicating-marks in dicate the extent of spread of the muzzles of the barrels 13. Usually the rods H will slide within grooves beneath or at the side of one or more of the ribs 0, and will have attached to their rear ends a wheel or lugs to permit of the same being grasped by the user for the purpose of retracting said rods, and in such case said rods may be graduated or marked, if desired, to correspond with the marks or graduations upon the indicator-plate I.

1. A gun having a series of barrels rigidly I connected together at their breech ends and separate at their muzzle ends, and a gage or wedge which reciprocates longitudinally between said barrels and. spreads them apart, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A gun having one or more barrels, each composed of a plurality of chambers or barrels connected together at their rear portions and disconnected at their muzzle ends, a gage or wedge adapted to partly embrace and slide along and between the disconnected muzzle ends to spread them apart, and firing mechanism adapted to fire each barrel simultaneously.

3. A gun having one or more barrels, each composed of a plurality of barrels connected together at their breech ends and disconnected at their muzzle ends, a gage or wedge adapted to fit and slide between said disconnected ends and spread the same apart, and a rod or rods connected with said gage for the purpose of actuating the same. I

4. A gun having one or more barrels, each composed of a plurality of barrels connected together at their breech ends and disconnected at their muzzle ends, a gage or wedge adapted to fit and slide between said disconnected ends and spread the same apart, and an indicator or index attached to the face of the gun for indicating the position of the muzzle ends of the barrels, substantially as set forth.

5. A gun having one or more barrels, each composed of a plurality of barrels gradually tapering from their breech to their muzzle ends, said barrels being connected together at their rear portions and disconnected at their muzzle ends, and a gage or wedge adapted to fit between said disconnected ends and spread the same apart, substantially as and for the purpose set forth. I

In testimony whereof I affix my in presence of two witnesses. JOHN W. PETTY.

signature \Vitnesses:

JULIUs W. HOLMES, EDW. LEEDER. 

